Quote:
Originally Posted by nikkie
I've got a question...
IF the iPad had been announced to be shipping with a PixelQi screen, would you have been all over it?
Based on the typical complaints I've heard on this forum about ereader devices, the iPad seems to do pretty well:
* Many usable ebook stores/apps (Kobo, B&N, Kindle, etc)
. . .
If so, doesn't that mean that your only objection to this device is the LED screen? Since many of us prefer or have little objection to a lit screen (we read in dim light or the dark, in bed), how does that make the iPad not a very nifty device?
. . .
If your complaint is about battery life, for a device this size and with a color screen, 10 hours is phenomenal.
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Nikkie, I had high hopes for the iPad but now that it has been outted, I can see it isn't for me. Yes, the Pixel Qi might have made a difference but there are several other problems.
First, it isn't clear what Apple will do as regards competing bookstores. Apple is not known to be generous to competitors and it isn't certain whether it will allow competing bookstores.
Second, it appears that Apple is layering on its own version of DRM to the ePub. If true, then books bought at the Apple store will not be readable on other devices (except possibly other Apple devices). This is still a wait and see scenario.
Third, if the pricing announced for books is correct -- $12.99 to $14.99 -- it is higher than Amazon and B&N. Not clear why paying more for a book is an inducement.
Fourth, it isn't clear that books book at stores other than Apple's store can be read on the iPad. To my knowledge, the iPad will read DRM-free ePub and Apple DRMed ePub, but not Sony or B&N DRMed ePub. I may be wrong in this regard but if not, then will limit the market greatly.
Fifth, the Apple market for the iPad doesn't seem to be the person who prefers to read books than to watch TV. It seems to be the casual reader, the person who reads 1 to 2 books a year (if not in a lifetime). I've excluded students who the iPad also is aimed at because they have "specialized" needs.
Sixth, 10 hours is under ideal conditions and I have yet to use any device under ideal conditions. My Dell laptop's battery was supposed to get 4-5 hours but I'm lucky if it gets 2 hours. That makes me wary about the 10-hour claim. And I do spend 4-5 hours every day reading on my Sony, sometimes more. Granted I could recharge the iPad but I like having reserve power available and not having to charge every day.
Seventh, it isn't clear to me how I would add books to the iPad from the Apple bookstore. No, I understand that it would be wireless, but would I have to pay AT&T or some other carrier for a data plan just to access the store? I assume that the answer is no with wi-fi, but it simply isn't clear to me.
I'm not bashing the device. If it fits your needs, you should definitely buy it. All I'm saying is that I do not see this as the revolutionary device everyone had been clamoring for. It strikes me as a very evolutionary step and not even a complete step.